This year, four new all-electric vehicles were released, the Audi e-tron, Hyundai Kona Electric, Jaguar I-PACE, and Kia Niro EV. Now that they have been on the market for several months, we asked our supporters that are driving these cars to share their experiences with these vehicles.
Kia Niro EV
Herbert A.
Sacramento, CA
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
Yes, the car is very responsive and great to drive. Plenty of room for passengers in both the front and rear seats.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
The instant power that comes with driving an EV. But besides that the smart cruise control.
What, if anything, could be improved?
Adding HD Radio. Disappointed with a new car that it did not have HD Radio.
Doug D.
Eagle Point, OR
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
It’s like a mini SUV. While we live in a more rural area the range is more than enough for almost anywhere we go. If I need to pick up a few 2 x 4 x 8’s they will fit and I can drive the 20 mile round trip to the lumber yard without burning fuel in my 8 MPG truck. I have also carried an 8′ step ladder in it.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
It’s quiet, has great responsiveness and acceleration and the seats are more comfortable than just about any car I have ever been in.
What, if anything, could be improved?
Get rid of the piece of plastic under the hood that seems to be designed to make it look like there is an engine under the hood.
David S.
Portland, OR
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
Absolutely recommend. Only had the car a little over a week, but absolutely love it. Gets more than the stated 239 mile range with the driving we do, has plenty of room, (including cargo space) very well designed features, responsive drive, neat and crisp control. Handles well, plenty of pickup, and very sensibly and intelligently designed from an ergonomic point of view. Seats four comfortably, five in a pinch. Actual leg room in the back, sufficient for adults.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
Intelligently designed controls and safety features.
What, if anything, could be improved?
Honestly, other than things that will require gradual improvements in technology, like superior battery technology, I can’t really think of anything. For me, this is the EV I’ve been waiting for. Would hope that the price will come down somewhat in the future relative to other cars, but with incentives it was affordable.
Mryia W.
Galloway, OH
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
I definitely recommend the Kia Niro EV. I am over 7,000 miles into ownership and have found it to perform far beyond expectations. I currently average 4.6 m/kWH which puts us routinely in the 300 miles range with a full charge (EPA estimate 239). I drive primarily highway (70mph in my area) and love having this type of range even at higher speeds. I have found the cargo space to be very helpful when moving my daughter into her apartment and when cleaning out my grandparent’s home as part of my executor duties.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
I love the efficiency of the vehicle which has let me far exceed the range estimation. I also own a Nissan Leaf and in comparison the Niro EV outperforms the average m/kWH (especially on the freeway and in high/low temperatures). I have always hated how much variance I would see in the GOM (Guess-O-Meter) of the range in the Leaf but in the Niro EV, I expect see next to no variance in what the estimate range is and what the actual range turns out to be.
What, if anything, could be improved?
So far, I have only found tiny things that I would change about the Niro EV like having an automatic liftgate available on the back hatch so that I could press a button on the remote fob and have the hatch not only unlock but also open. I also would like a small light on the back side of the sun visor so that the mirror would be easier to use in low light situations. The only big thing I can think of is that I hope they expand where the vehicle is sold (we drove 425+ miles from home to get one), if would be great to see it available in all 50 states (and if it isn’t stocked everywhere, at least they could allow orders).
Hyundai Kona Electric
Daniel H.
Irvine, CA
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
Yes I fully recommend this vehicle because of its range, responsiveness, styling and comfort.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
The mileage range.
What, if anything, could be improved?
The back seats need more legroom and the trunk area behind the backseat needs more room. My previous Nissan Leaf had more such room than this car has.
Gordon H.
Manorville, NY
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
Yes I like it
What do you like best about this vehicle?
Never have to go to a gas station, no oil to change, service it once a year
What, if anything, could be improved?
Front wheel drive not the best on an electric car, real wheel is much better.
Lee W.
Baltimore, MD
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
YES! Because it is easier to drive, comfortable, gets great eMPG, has decent storage space in the back, the information system is fairly easy to figure out, and it’s nice looking.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
For us it’s a perfect combination of size, capacity and range. We needed a car that we could parallel park in the city easily (under 170 inches long and this one is about 165 so perfect), had good range because we regularly take 100+ miles driving trips and this car gets easily over 250 on a full charge. We downsized from two cars to one so it had to do all of these things well and it really does.
What, if anything, could be improved?
- Should be able to open the rear liftgate from the driver’s seat but you have to get out and open it from the outside.
- There should be a prominent button in the infotainment system to “stop charging” like there is in the MyHyundai BlueLink app, but there is not. So if you are in an area of poor or no cellular connectivity using a public charging station can sometimes be challenging.
- Hyundai should provide an adapter for 240 V charger, not just 110V. I had to buy one myself and Hyundai support could not or would not tell me if it would work properly with the Kona and/or void the battery warranty.
- Hyundai Customer Service also could not tell me if the external accessories for the gas Kona will fit on the EV, even though the body is almost exactly the same. For example, the roof rack that attaches to the removable tracks on the roof.
Audi e-tron
Karsten K.
Lake Grove, NY
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
Absolutely recommended. I love this car. It is a high quality car. The manufacturing is excellent. It is quite and astonishingly quick for it’s size and weight.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
The silence inside. It’s a very quiet car.
What, if anything, could be improved?
Range, power consumption.
Michael M.
Austin, TX
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
Highly recommend for style and comfort
What do you like best about this vehicle?
The ride and quietness.
What, if anything, could be improved?
The range.
Richard T.
Weehawken, NJ
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
Highly recommend. Quiet, comfortable, luxurious and fast.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
Quiet
What, if anything, could be improved?
Range
Jaguar I-PACE
Holly K.
Wilmington, DE
Do you recommend this vehicle? Why or why not?
Yes!!! Finish and interior are beautiful, smooth driving and ride. Much better customer service and convenience than Tesla.
What do you like best about this vehicle?
Appearance, ride, apple car play
What, if anything, could be improved?
Better/faster public charging network
